Album Review

On their third album of new studio material, Ricky Ross and Deacon Blue continued to pursue their pop/folk/soul hybrid, a musical mixture seemingly unique to the lesser dominions of the British Isles. It's a sound in which the rhythm section usually is aping the Motown house band or The MG's, there are such acoustic instruments as guitars and fiddles (or keyboard on string settings) filling the middle section, and the tunes are topped by an expressive singer with lyrics full of yearning and local references. It doesn't always travel well, and, indeed, although Fellow Hoodlums entered the British charts near the top and produced three chart singles, the album was lost entirely in the U.S.

Biography

Formed: 1985 in Glasgow, Scotland

Genre: Pop

Years Active: '80s, '90s, '10s

Taking their name from a Steely Dan song, Deacon Blue are one of the best unknown bands in Scotland. Formed in 1985, Deacon Blue performed their first concert as the opening act for the Waterboys' premier show in England. With the vocals of singer/songwriter Ricky Ross backed by jazz and soul-inspired melodies, the group recorded several British hits in the late '80s. Their success, however, failed to carry over to American audiences. Frustrated by their inability to secure international popularity,...